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The Owls play well again early, but lose by 14 points at the UTSA Surge

The Owls play well again early, but lose by 14 points at the UTSA Surge

By Bob Markey II

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – FAU QB Cam Fancher, who is not expected to play on Saturday because of a foot injury, ran for 56 yards and two touchdowns (adjusted for losses) but managed just 96 yards on nine throws as Florida Atlantic was overpowering in the second half Road to a 38-24 loss to Texas San Antonio at the Alamo Dome.

“It’s easier to digest when you’re overwhelmed,” head coach Tom Herman said afterward, noting inconsistent play and critical mistakes on offense and defense. UTSA “did its best in critical times, but we didn’t.”

The Owls (2-5, 0-3 AAC) played well on both sides of the ball in the first half and had a good chance to take a 24-10 lead against the UTSA 6 when Fancher was sacked one of seven times and lost the ball.

“We fumbled in the red zone, which was huge, then we gave up a 95-yard drive for a touchdown,” Herman said. “When you’re playing away and against a really good team, you can’t afford to make mistakes like that. We did them and we need to figure out how to stop doing them in the future.”

Still, the Owls were tied 17 points at halftime thanks to an opportunistic defense that made key plays but gave up big passes and runs. The Roadrunners accumulated 485 yards, 345 of which came from QB Owen McCown (26 of 45 for two TDs and two INTs).

After a 33-yard field goal by Tate Sandell, the Owls were down early and without their top receiver Omari Hayes (who sat out this week’s practice with a hamstring injury) on offense until the score was 1:34 struggling in the first quarter when QB Cam Fancher broke free on a 76-yard run up the middle for a touchdown (Morgan Saurez PAT). Despite having his foot in a boot (turf toe) on Monday, Fancher outran the entire UTSA defense in FAU’s longest run of the year.

UTSA (3-4, 1-2 AAC) struck back with a 28 strike down the left seam from McGown to star tight end Oscar Cardenas. The first quarter ended with the Owls leading 7-3.

McCown fired a 42-yard bomb to tight end Patrick Overmyer on the first play of the second quarter to give the Roadrunners a 10-7 lead (Sandell PAT}).

RB Zuberi Mobley brought the FAU running game out of his shell on the next drive with the 36-year-old forward. He had eight carries for 41 yards. Caleb Coombs then caught a 12-yard pass from his former Marshall teammate Fancher. RB CJ Campbell (nine carries for 19 yards) ran left to the 7 before the drive stalled. On the 4thTh-and-2, Fancher passed to Mobley, who was well covered and dropped the ball.

The Owls defense got it right again on the next play. McCown threw late and Jaden Williams grabbed his first pick (of two in the game) and fired into the end zone, marked at the UTSA 3. Video replays appeared to show a TD dive from the 3.

Fancher was sacked at the 10 on the next play. Campbell ran to the 5. On a 3approx-and-goal from the 6, Fancher made an amazing run for a TD after nearly being sacked at the 12, scrambled back to the 22 and then turned left into the end-left zone at {9:39). , Saurez PAT).

FAU’s defense hit hard, forcing a UTSA punt, then starting its drive at the Owls’ 43. Coombs caught a pass over the middle for 25, but the drive stalled due to two stuffed runs and a rushed incomplete pass. Herman made a play at the UTSA 35 and was rewarded when Carter Davis kicked a 50-yard FG (7:12) to give the Owls a 17-10 lead.

With 5:43 left, the Owls defense was strong again. Williams picked up his second pick of the game and the season at the FAU 45, bobbed and snaked his way to the UTSA 14. A Fancher pass to Mobley moved the ball to the 8 and Sullivan moved the chains with a catch to the 4. But on the 3rd .-and-goal, Fancher was swarmed and didn’t see an open receiver in the back of the end zone. The ball was knocked out of his hand and UTSA took over.

The Roadrunners then used the momentum and quickly fell behind. Marlon Bradley slowed the drive with a sack (he had two), and Jacob Merrifield followed with one of his own.

As time expired, UTSA ran a tunnel screen to the Owls’ 23, passed to the 10 and then Jamel Hardy caught a 10-yard pass at the right end zone line for a TD {PAT, :46}.

McCown’s passes to the 41 and 19 brought the Roadrunners to the FAU 6 early in the second half. He ran to the 1 and Robert Henry ran in (11:19, Sandell PAT).

Trailing by 7, the Owls were stopped after another sack of Fancher. The FAU defense held, but the Owls were stopped again by another sack.

FAU’s pass defense collapsed, allowing a 34-yard strike. The Owls got tougher, hitting McCown as he went backwards. The ball hit the ground and NAIA national champion Keizer transferred to Wendol Filord, who picked it up and ran 50 yards for an Owls touchdown (3:58, Saurez PAT). The score was tied at 24 points.

A second Bradley sack (FAU’s fourth of the game) stopped a UTSA drive late in the third. But the Owls’ offense again couldn’t get anything going.

UTSA then drove, mostly through the air, to the FAU 25, where the Owls stiffened and pushed for a 43-yard Sandell FG (11:21). The Roadrunners led 27-24.

The Owls again failed to find an attack. Fancher was sacked for a 13-yard loss early in the drive. He was hit while trying to pass from the FAU 7. Logan Lupo then poked the back of a blocker from the 1, handing the ball off to UTSA at the FAU 24. The Owls bent over again, forcing a 28-yard Sandell FG (8:00).

Trailing by 6, FAU ran out of time, but Fancher was sacked again and the Owls stumbled.

FAU was unable to slow down UTSA’s running or passing game in the fourth period and was shut out offensively in the second half. Brandon Hyde followed through with a 29-yard UTSA TD run to end the game (2:25, Henry converted 2 points).

“I’m angry that some mistakes were made in the second half tonight. It’s one thing to be beaten, it’s another to feel like your opponent has done better than you. I have to consider how to put the right people on the field who will perform very consistently.”

The Owls now need to win four of their final five games to become bowl eligible. They will host new rival South Florida at FAU Stadium on Friday, November 1st at 7:30 p.m.

“At some point…we’re going to have to make tough decisions in the last five weeks,” Herman said. “We’ve got two weeks to figure it out.”

He said he was pleased with the offensive and defensive plans the coaches have developed.

“There were times when I felt like maybe we needed to try something completely different,” he said. “But if you’ve done it long enough, that’s usually not the answer. The answer is to do what you know works.

“We have to implement the plan better. It is our job as coaches to ensure that the players can implement this plan in a sporting manner.”

The errors must be corrected, he emphasized.

“Every week it feels like there’s a new leak. We can’t continue like this. So something has to give. I don’t know. I know we have 22 people who do the right thing 95 percent of the time.”